Benedict an Impressive Theologian

by Steve Ray on April 29, 2005

Cardinal sees Pope Benedict as impressive theologian

Vatican, Apr. 27 (CWNews.com) – The work of Pope Benedict XVI as a theologian should not be judged exclusively by his record as prefect for the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. That was the message of Cardinal George Cottier, the theologian of the pontifical household, in an interview with the French weekly Famille Chretienne .

Cardinal Cottier observed that when he came to the Vatican in 1981, Cardinal Ratzinger was given the special task of preserving the integrity of Catholic doctrine, by guarding against deviations from orthodox teaching. The major statements released by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith during his tenure should all be seen in this light, the Swiss cardinal argued; they are efforts to illustrate the shortcomings of particular strains of theological thought. Cardinal Cottier mentioned Dominus Iesus (doc) as a particularly clear example of this type of document.